Automatic train-signaling device for level crossings



AUTOMATIC TRAIN SIGNALING DEVICE FOR LEVEL CROSSINGS Filed Feb 15, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1

"Sept; 16, 1930. N. GHERASSIMOTFF 1 1,775,675

AUTOMATIC TRAIN SIGNALING DEVICE OR LEVEL CROSSINGS Filed Feb; 13, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I far/87650 7mm ML k z m, mzzda w W552 Patented Sept. 16, 1930 UNITED ST T NIconAs GHERASSIMOFF, or nsmnnns, FRANCE,ASSIGfiOBiTO SOClEETE1DAVERTIS smm rnnnovom, or PARIS, FRANCE, A LIMITED LIABILITY: comra vronrnnncn w AUTOMATIC TRAIN-SIGNALING Device non; LEVEL cnossines A pplicati on filed February 13, 1930, Serial nofmaita aiid in. France ma a; 26 1929, l

The present invention relates to a device for automatically signaling. the arrival of trains, in particular at level crossings, said device being characterized by the factthat it includes at least one' optical or acoustical warning apparatus actuated by means of mechanical or electrical controlling means, which are either known or are part of this invention, by the vibrations produced in the rails by the rollin of a train. 7

The feature set orthabove can give rise to numerous embodiments which 'may differ from each other in particular by the warning apparatus used which can be sonorous, luminous, combined, etc., and by the means enabling the noise to be transmitted from the train to the warning apparatus, or the vibrations of the rails to be transformed into electrical or sound vibrations, which apparatus quired distances from the level crossing, and

in transmitting'the electrical vibrations produced by the microphones (preferably by wireand with or without amplification) to the optical or acoustical warning apparatus, which said electrical vibrations bring into operation. j V According toianother embodiment, use is madefof the property of the rails of transmitting the vibrations produced bythe'passing of a train, and a. microphone is placed at the level crossing, said microphone being subjected to the vibrations of the rails and controlling thewarning apparatus. As in the preceding case, the electrical vibrations produced by the microphone-may be suitably amplified. 5 v v It is preferable tohouse the microphones in may be transmitted to them by means, for

coming into the immediate vicinity or even intocontact with the microphones. 7 In order to, enable the vibrations of th rails to better reach the microphone at the level crossing,; said vibrations can be accentuated-by means of resonators placed on the permanent wayat suitabledistancesfrom.

the level crossing as also at the level crossing itself, the microphonethen' being subjected to the action of the latterresonator.

' Said'resonators are preferably. composed of metalcylin'ders connected to the rails and accommodated, for example, in chambers a rranged under the rails. r 7' The transmission of the noise of a t rain may be still further improved bymaking the :rails act upon electrical sonndgenerators or amplifiers, which can co-operate with the resonators and which are placed, for-example, within the latter] w f 1 Safety devices of any kind may be-provide'd to warn the users ofthe road andthe oflicialsfinterested,'of the failureof he warningdeviceto'work.

The placingoflie'warning devices at level crossings has been particularly considered in a the foregoing, but such warning devices may, "of course, be placed in anyother places desir'ed,-such as railway stations or se'ctionsof the permanent way under repa r. In the latter case, the microphone and the warning device proper, can be used in the form of portableapparatus which is subjected to the action, of the rails at any place desired.

Other features and'details of the invention will be apparentfrom the des'criptionwhich is about to be made in respect of the accompanying drawings, in which:

1 is a diagrammatic elevation ofarailway, with; a level crossing, provided 7 with a j warning deviceaccording to the invention.

Fig 2 isja section on al'arger scale, along 'th 1' Il -II th d' fi v chambers (underground; for example) which I 6 me of eprecemg gum insulate them from sounds other than those due to the rolling of the train. When the microphones are placed at a certain distance from the rails, the vibrations of the rails Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of an installation provided with a safety device. a

Fig. ,4 is a diagrammatic plan of a railway, with a level crossing, provided with another modification of a warning device.

IFig. v5 is a cross section of the permanent way, taken through a resonator.

Fig. 6 is a cross section of the resonator, on a larger scale, and

Fig. 7 is a partial longitudinal section corresponding to Fig. 6.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the rails 1 act on the microphones, 2, 3, 4 and arranged at suitable distances from the level crossings, by means of rods or other acoustical conductors 2, 8 4 and 5, each microphone being connected in the ordinary way to an am Jlifier 6 arranged near the level crossing 7. t is obvious that the microphones could be placed near the path of the trains and in particular between the rails without having any connection with the latter.

At the approach of a train, the rails 1 transmit the noise of the rolling to the microphones, then to the amplifier, the intensity of the sound being in principle a functionof the distance Of/Che train from the microphones. An automatic warning device of great simplicity is thus obtained. It will be noted moreover inthe embodiment adopted and according to the invention, that the microphones are placed in chambers 20, so that they are only influenced in principle, by the noise of the train reaching the microphones by the rods 2, 3 46 and 5.

Fig. 3 shows diagrammatically an installation provided with a safety device enabling, in case of the apparatus not working, and more particularly in case of breakage of the circuit 10 or the wearing out of the supply battery 11 of this circuit, the stoppage of the warning device to be signaled at least tothe users of the road.

For this purpose is placed, for example, in parallel, an electro-magnet 12 the armature 12 of which regulates, by its movements either an auxiliary circuit 13, or any suitable mechanical device putting intoaction, in a continuous manner, the amplifier 6 or any other auxiliary amplifier such as 14, as also signaling devices situated at the nearest railway station. V p

Any other safety device'adapted to the embodiment shown which can obviously include -numerous practical embodiments, could be used without departing from the scope of the nv t on- .7

According to another embodiment, a microphone 2 placed at the level crossing 1s connected to therail 1 in a manner similar to that shown in Fig. 2. Said microphone is connected similarly to a loud speaker 6 which can be arranged in any desired manner. At a certain distance from the level crossing, areplaced resonators 21. Said resonato'rs, which'are composed of sheet iron cylinders, are housed in concrete chambers placed under therai'ls, across the permanent way. Theyare suspended to the rails by ties 22 and by'rods orbolts 23. A similar resonator 21 is placed at the level crossing and still further intensifies the sounds reaching the microphone 2.

If the resonators do not intensify the noise so as to make it effective at a sufficient distance, an electrical amplifying apparatus 24, receiving its energy from a local battery, can be arranged, as shown in Fig. 5.

It has been assumed in the foregoing that the Warning apparatus 6 is merely an amplifier or loud speaker intensifying the noise transmitted by the microphone. Any other kind of acoustical or optical warning device, either luminous or mechanical, could just as well "be used. The electric currents produced by the microphones will then cause the operation of the said warningapparatus by means of relays aria other s'uitableelectrical or e'lecti'omechanica'l'controlling apparatus, well known in the telephonic art and in that of railway equipment and not being part ofthe invention.

The microphone and the warning device can be grouped in a portable iinit which is placed at 'the spot where it is desired'to be warned of the approach or a train. The microphone 'is placed in the immediate vicinity of a rail, and 61- tliis purpose the microphone support 'cdmp'rises some fixing means enabling it, for example, to be fixed rapidly on the'flaiige of a rail oron a sleeper, ortoibe stuck into the ground. The warning device connected to the microphone by leads 9 in flexible casing, is-p'l'aced at a certain distance fromthe permanent'way, so as not to be struck by't'he train.

It is of course obvious that the device has only been described and represented herein inan explanatory, but in ,no'way limitative manner, and thatmodificati'ons of detailinay be made'thereto without departing from its spirit.

I claim: 1

1. Automatic railway signaling device,

comprising in combination, a microphone located near a railway line and res nsive to sound vibrations produced in therails by the passage ofatra'in, resonators for intensifying the soundimpinging on said 'mici ophohefan electric circuit in whichsaid microphone is mounted tomodulate the current flowin'g "therethrough, -means located within said resonators for am lifying the modulated currents, and warning m'eans actuated by said microphone, for repro ducing atany desired'spot the sound'vibrw tions produced in the rails.

2. A'utomatic railway signaling device, comprising in combination, a microphone located near a railwayline and responsive to sound vibrations-produced in the rails by a passing train, resonators connected to the rails for intensifying the sound impinging on said microphone, an electric, circuit in which said microphone is mountedto modulate the current flowingtherethrough, means LII located within, the said resonators for amplifying the modulated currents, and warning means mounted in said circuit for converting said current modulations into sound;

3. Automatic railway signaling device, comprising in combination, a microphone located near a railway line and responsive to sound vibrations produced in the rails by a passing train, a resonator connected to the rails for intensifying the sound impinging on said microphone, a chamber accommodating said resonator and sald microphone,

., vibrations produced in the rails by the passage of a train, a concrete chamber housing said mlcrophone and located in the ground below sald rails, means for connecting sald microphone to said rails, said concrete chamber screening said microphone from other vibrations, an electric circuit in'which said microphone is mounted to modulate the current flowing th'erethrough, means mounted in said circuit at a suitable distance from said microphone for converting said current modulations into sound, and means for signaling a break in thecircuit connecting the microphone to the warning means.

5. In an automatic railway signaling device, the combination of a microphone located at a level crossing of a railway line and re sponsive to sound vibrations produced in the rails by the passage of 'a train, a loud speaker, an electric circuit in which said 3 microphone and loud speaker are mounted,

resonators placed at a suitable distance from said level crossing for intensifying the sound conducted by the rails to said microphone,

and a resonator placed'near said microphone,

the latter modulating the current flowing in said circuit and said loud speaker converting said current modulations into, sound.

NICOLAS GHERASSIMOFF. 

